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Cited by 71Evolution and Genetic DynamicsLanguage and cultural evolutionPhilosophy and History of Science

EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL pH IN EXPERIMENTAL LINEAGES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

Hughes, Bradley S., Cullum, Alistair J., Bennett, Albert F.·2007·Evolution
DOI 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00139.x
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Abstract

This study uses the enteric bacterium Escherichia coli as an experimental system to examine evolutionary responses of bacteria to an environmental acidic-alkaline range between pH 5.3 and 7.8 (15-5000 nM [H(+)]). Our goal was both to test general hypotheses about adaptation to abiotic variables and to provide insights into how coliform organisms might respond to changing conditions inside and outside of hosts. Six replicate lines of E. coli evolved for 2000 generations at one of four different constant pH conditions: pH 5.3, 6.3, 7.0, or 7.8. Direct adaptation to the evolutionary environment, as well as correlated changes in other environments, was measured as a change in fitness relative to the ancestor in direct competition experiments. The pH 5.3 group had the highest fitness gains, with a highly significant increase of 20%. The pH 7.8 group had far less significant gains and much higher variance among its lines. Analysis of individual lines within these two groups revealed complex patterns of adaptation: all of the pH 5.3 lines exhibited trade-offs (reduced fitness in another environment), but only 33% of the pH 7.8 lines showed such trade-offs and one of the pH 7.8 lines demonstrated exaptation by improving fitness in the pH 5.3 environment. Although there was also prevalent exaptation in other groups to the acidic environment, there were no such cases of exaptation to alkalinity. Comparison across the entire experimental pH range revealed that the most acidic lines, the pH 5.3 group, were all specialists, in contrast to the pH 6.3 lines, which were almost all generalists. That is, although none of the pH 5.3 lines showed any correlated fitness gains, all of the pH 6.3 lines did.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00139.x

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  • In serial batch cultures for ALE, transfer often occurs before the stationary phase is reached, which is a prerequisite to avoid stationary phase adaptation.

    “As indicated in Figure 1a, in serial batch cultures for ALE, the transfer often occurs before the stationary phase is reached. Clearly, this is a prerequisite to avoid stationary phase adaptation [52].”

    From Adaptive laboratory evolution—Principles and applications for biotechnology (2013) · cites this paper as [52]

  • GASP (growth advantage in stationary phase) mutants are rapidly fixed in E. coli populations.

    “So-called GASP (growth advantage in stationary phase) mutants are rapidly fixed in E. coli populations [52].”

    From Adaptive laboratory evolution—Principles and applications for biotechnology (2013) · cites this paper as [52]

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Authors
Hughes, B. S., Cullum, A. J., & Bennett, A. F.
Affiliations
  • University of California, Irvine (US)
  • Creighton University (US)
Corresponding author
Hughes, Bradley S.
ORCID
Cullum, Alistair J.
Venue
Evolution
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2007-07
Volume
61
Issue
7
Pages
1725-1734
ISSN
  • 0014-3820 (ISSN-L)
  • 1558-5646
DOI
10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00139.x
OpenAlex
W2136965666
Cited by
71
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 6
FWCI
1.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1.1 (tdm, 2984 d)
Locations
  • Evolution (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • BioOne Complete (BioOne) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Science Foundation
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Philosophy and History of Science
Keywords
Escherichia coli, pH adaptation, acid resistance, alkaline tolerance, experimental evolution, fitness trade-offs, exaptation, coliform bacteria
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Physiological, Escherichia coli, Biological Evolution, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration

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